The Fridge Hack That Could Save You $800+ A Year

Open your fridge right now. What’s hiding in the bottom of the crisper?  If you said “slimy lettuce” or “mystery mush,” I hear you!

Every time those sad greens hit the bin, so does your money. And the truth is, that for most households that's hundreds of dollars each year. The average Aussie household is tossing out about $840* worth of fruit and veg annually — and most of us don’t even realise it.

Here's the simple hack thousands of households are already using to keep their veggies crisp for weeks, cut mid-week takeaway, and save serious cash! 

Recognise these food fails?

🥬 Slimy spinach stuck to the plastic bag
🥕 Rubbery carrots than bend instead of snap
🥦 Yellowing broccoli florets
🌱 Herbs going black in their plastic sleeve
🥗 Bagged salad turning to soup
🥒 Wrinkled cucumbers mushy inside
🥔 Shriveled or green potatoes
🫑 Capsicum half sweating in cling wrap
🍆 Eggplant growing soft black spots
🍄 Mushrooms turning to dried shiitake

You wouldn't be alone, and together, they add up to a huge waste of food and money.

Why fresh produce spoils so quickly at home

It’s not your imagination — fruit and veggies really do seem to die faster once they hit the fridge. That’s because produce is still alive after it’s picked. It keeps breathing, releasing moisture and natural gases that speed up ripening (and rotting).

Plastic makes it worse by trapping humidity, so greens turn slimy while carrots shrivel. Add with fridge temperature swings and ethylene from fruit like apples and bananas, you’ve got the perfect recipe for bendy carrots, yellowing broccoli, and soggy herbs.

How to keep vegetables fresh longer (without plastic)

That’s where Veggie Saver comes in. It’s not just another bag — it’s a breathable cotton sidekick that creates the perfect environment to keep produce fresh for two weeks or more.

Here’s what that means in our house:

• Lettuce, rocket, kale and spinach last across two weeks instead of just a few days. (I wash them first before putting in the damp bag, leaving them ready for everyone to grab some whenever needed — just like bagged convenience salad, but without the plastic).
  
• Herbs from the supermarket look better after a few days than they did when I bought them!
• Parsley and basil picked from my garden stay sprightly for weeks.
• Cut fruit and veggies last without plastic cling wrap.
• Perfect mushrooms for a week or more (kept in a dry Veggie Saver bag in the crisper).
• Potatoes and onions stay firm and happy in the pantry, not sprouting or shrivelling.
• Mid-week dinners happen because veggies are still good to use!

Why Veggie Saver works better than plastic bags

Plastic traps moisture and gases and creates the perfect conditions for slimy lettuce and black soggy herbs.

Veggie Saver works differently. Its natural cotton layers allow your produce to breathe while staying hydrated, but not drenched. It’s like giving your crisper a micro-climate that mimics nature — fresh, balanced, and long-lasting.

For most produce kept in the fridge, you simply keep the bag moist at all times (which usually means briefly running it under the tap every few days).

For root veg in the pantry, keep the bag dry.

Save money and reduce food waste at home

Here’s the best part: Veggie Saver can pay for itself in as little as two weeks. After that, it just keeps giving — and for many people that could be $800 or more each year saved from produce that doesn’t go to waste.

That’s less money in the bin, fewer stressful mid-week supermarket runs, and more meals made from what you already have.

And it’s not just about saving money. By keeping food fresh longer, you’re also cutting back on Australia’s 3.2 million tonnes of annual food waste — almost half of which is fruit and veggies.

Rather than tossing your precious cash into the crisper, you have to try this ridiculously simple hack for preserving your produce.

Everyone we know who's given them a go can't believe the difference they make and love using them.   But most of all, they love pocketing the savings instead of letting their money rot in the fridge!

Related reads